24 May 2012

As a fan of the horror genre, I am impressed by the passion of the group to create and compile such a wonderful set of frighteningly fiendish stories. Hellbound 2 is a wonderful homage to things that go bump in the night, and our affection for what terrifies us the most. . . .

For anyone interested in the art and crafting of horror tales, this is a terrific collection. I’m particularly a fan of "Eye Contact" and "Dolly," because I am totally creeped out by both eyeballs and dolls. Demon lovers will enjoy "Necrocomicon" and "Eugene," and the smiles of "robmeblind.com" gave me a serious case of the heebie jeebies.

Those smiles are the creation of artist Andy Wong. My script for “RobMeBlind.com” suggested S&M devotees. Andy saw that and raised with what he called “flesh mummies.”

The craftsmanship in this volume is impressive, especially given that none of the creators are full-time cartoonists. John Hilliard’s “Eugene” is the story of a hairy, vampire-like monster stalking innocent victims, but the cheerful storytelling style makes it seem charming–right up until the surprise ending. Joshua D. Hoagland’s “Mt. Auburn Night,” set in the Cambridge cemetery, is a beautiful romp of skeletons and gravestone statuary, drawn with strong blacks and white in a style reminiscent of Aubrey Beardsley. Both are wordless stories (well, “Eugene” has one word balloon) that use strong visuals and creative panel layouts to pull the reader in and tell the story. I have to mention “Robmeblind.com,” written by my MoCCA travel companion J.L. Bell and drawn by Andy Wong, a clever story about burglars who use the web to scout out potential victims.

Thanks, Brigid!

Hellbound II is on sale at some Boston-area comics shops and from Ninth Art Press.

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About the Author

J. L. BELL is a writer and reader of fantasy literature for children. His favorite authors include L. Frank Baum, Diana Wynne Jones, and Susan Cooper. He is an Assistant Regional Advisor in the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and was the editor of Oziana, creative magazine of the International Wizard of Oz Club, from 2004 to 2010.

Living in Massachusetts, Bell also writes about the American Revolution at Boston 1775.